While President Trump plans to spend gobs of tax dollars to send soldiers to the border in a bid to convince his most loyal supporters that he's making an effort to honor his promise to build a wall on the border, Maria Elena Dueñas is making plans for a better life—in Mexico.

Dueñas is one of a number of Los Angeles residents profiled in a Los Angeles Times story about Mexicans who came to their city for a better life, only to see the quality of life...